LANSING — A total of 158 students received top honors at the State Finals competition of Michigan History Day® last month at Central Michigan University. The 2025 theme was “Rights and Responsibilities in History,” and participants explored a diverse offering of statewide, national and global history topics. This year, 450 Michigan elementary, middle and high school students took part in the Michigan History Day State Finals contest, which is an educational program of the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM).

In addition, 116 people volunteered to serve as judges, evaluated the participants’ entries and provided constructive feedback. The 70 finalists in the junior and senior divisions will now move on to the National History Day competition, which will take place in College Park, Maryland. The winners of the national contest will be announced on June 12.

The award winners for Michigan History Day 2025 included two students from the Keweenaw. Samantha Blake and Rosemary Eisele, both from Houghton High School competed in the Senior Group performance category. Both were named national finalists. In addition, four students from Marquette’s Bothwell Middle School and two from Pickford Schools received awards. A total of four students from Sault Ste. Marie, three from Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting School and one from Lincoln Elementary were award winners. Of the 12 UP students only the two from Houghton will be at the national competition.

“The judges were very impressed by the variety of topics researched by students this year,” said Claire Herhold, Michigan History Day state co-coordinator. “The 2025 theme, ‘Rights and Responsibilities,’ inspired many students to investigate the ways that communities across the globe have been tied to one another and how those consequences echo through time.”

In addition to the recognition given to the top finishers in each of the different categories, 45 students received monetary prizes and recognition for a variety of Special Awards. Organizations and individuals in Michigan sponsor 10 Special Awards to recognize students for specific skills and topic choices.

Michigan History Day (also known as National History Day in Michigan) offers a fascinating opportunity for students and teachers to move beyond routine social studies learning. Working with an annual theme, students choose to explore and research a local, national or international historical topic. Students then present their original research in one of five categories: performances, exhibits, papers, websites and documentaries. Lead sponsors of Michigan History Day 2025 are The Meijer Foundation, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Michigan Humanities, the Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation and the Library of Michigan.

The Historical Society of Michigan recognized three special teachers at the award ceremony. Two were nominated for the National History Day Teacher of the Year award. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative classroom work and participation in the National History Day contest. The nominees from Michigan are Brenton Fitzpatrick of Bothwell Middle School (Marquette) and Christopher Hemler of University Liggett School (Grosse Pointe Woods).

The Historical Society of Michigan is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.